I’m spending this week in Lisbon — and it’s my first trip ever abroad. I’m writing this partly for you, but mostly for me, to remind myself for the next time I travel.

  1. Bring an adaptor. The ABCs of being an Automattician is Always Be Charging, and this includes when traveling abroad.

  2. Bring a debit card to withdraw cash for the best foreign exchange rates. As much as we all love Apple pay, credit cards aren’t as ubiquitous abroad.

  3. Check the weather before you leave, so that you can appropriately pack rain jackets or WordPress sunglasses (don’t forget the sunscreen).

  4. Get prepped for figuring out data abroad. This could mean getting Skype credits to use Boingo hotspot on the go, or getting international data set up on your phone ahead of time.

  5. Passport. Get one, and don’t leave it behind.